Chapter 82: The Crucial Battle for the Asteroid Belt

The Human Federation’s Outpost Two came under heavy attack…

Day eight.

Now, the front lines had reached about one million kilometers from the edge of the Asteroid Belt.

Just one final push—if the Klein break through this last stretch, they’ll open the Asteroid Belt completely and press their advance to Mars’s defensive line.

As for the Federation, they’d lose their most crucial barrier, with only Mars and Earth left to stand in the enemy’s way.

But the most critical blow is this: Once humanity loses access to the Asteroid Belt’s resources, survival becomes a desperate struggle.

That’s why people say—the fate of the whole war hinges on the Asteroid Belt.

Protecting the belt is protecting human civilization itself.

But if we lose the Asteroid Belt…

It’s the path straight to humanity’s destruction!

And there’s no exaggeration in those words.

——

“Four days left?”

“That’s plenty!”

“Commence Operation Starfall immediately. Strategy team, start calculating the precise withdrawal timing for our fleet from the Asteroid Belt. Accuracy is critical—don’t miss a single detail!”

Mu Xingchen stood up and issued his orders in a commanding voice.

“Understood, Commander!”

Several minutes later, on the side of the Asteroid Belt nearest Mars…

Over two thousand Asteroid Tug Ships—some working solo, others in teams—began accelerating, pulling along thousands of asteroids large and small.

They picked up speed, gathering momentum.

Inside the belt, as soon as they nailed down the exact timing, the entire Federation fleet adjusted to match—every move calculated down to the second.

Their withdrawal during the counterattack sped up.

Meanwhile, the Klein fleet could practically taste their impending victory. Spirits ran high—they were about to break through at last.

Plus, Loxi had just received word from Tumelo: the main Klein fleet had arrived behind the vanguard, staying about five million kilometers back.

Once Loxi cleared the path, the main forces would pour in behind them.

There’d be no breathing room for humanity; the battle for Mars would begin in the blink of an eye.

Without the Asteroid Belt, humans would lose over ninety percent of their vital resources.

And if Mars fell too, the last foothold at the frontline would be lost.

All that would be left is for the Klein to build up strength at Mars for a while, then set their sights on Earth.

Or perhaps…

They’d just charge straight for Earth without missing a beat.

The choice rested in Klein hands.

Yet, no matter which path they took, the instant humanity lost the Asteroid Belt and Mars, the game was finished.

At that moment, Tumelo brimmed with confidence.

He was already picturing the Klein founding a new home on Earth, restoring their ancient glory over centuries to come.

As for the current battlefield…

The status quo held: the vanguard steadily pushed forward while the Federation fell back, fighting as they retreated.

Roughly three hours later…

The Federation retreated completely, handing over the Asteroid Belt without resistance.

But the Klein fleet didn’t even pause. They surged forward, hot on the Federation’s heels.

Their mission was clear: chase humanity’s fleet at top speed.

They would establish a beachhead just outside the belt, securing a safe zone for the arrival of their main fleet.

However…

“Lord Loxi, once we get past this dense asteroid field, our fleet will push through the belt.”

“Excellent. Instruct all ships—once we’re through, spread out into a fan formation to ensure a wide, safe zone ahead.”

“Understood, Lord Loxi!”

A few minutes later, the vanguard’s leading dozens of warships emerged from the thick asteroid field, reaching open space beyond the belt, and began scanning the void.

Then everyone froze, stunned.

Hundreds of asteroids—ranging from small to massive—came hurtling at them at over 150 kilometers per second.

The smallest was seventy or eighty meters across, while some monsters stretched two or three hundred meters.

The real kicker? These hundreds of asteroids were less than ten thousand kilometers away.

Give it one minute, and they’d crash down on them like the hammer of the gods.

That kind of mass, traveling at these insane speeds…

Panic swept through the fleet in an instant. It clawed at the heart of every crew member.

“Change course! Now! Hurry!”

“They’re coming in too fast—we’re out of time!”

“Damn it all…”

A minute was nothing, especially for ships at full speed.

Even at low speed, with instant maneuvering, adjusting course wouldn’t have been fast enough.

The ships in back got the warning, but it didn’t matter—they plowed out of the Asteroid Belt one after another…

Right into the oncoming asteroid storm.

It wasn’t just those first ships getting smashed. Hundreds of asteroids blasted into the belt itself, slamming toward the remaining ships still slowing and turning deep inside the dense asteroid clusters.

Most of them hit the cluster and collided with other rocks, thanks to the density of the field.

Still, the impacts scattered debris everywhere—like a deadly cloud of shrapnel raining down on the fleet.

Any ship caught in that mess, even with heavy armor, took crippling damage from the endless barrage.

In a split second, the entire sector turned into a nightmare of chaos and destruction.

At the very rear of the vanguard fleet…

Inside a large warship, Loxi had gone utterly blank.

“How… how could this happen…”

“How could this happen!”

“How… could this happen?”

The same words tumbled out of his mouth again and again.

But every time, the shock and disbelief in his tone grew stronger.

——

Half an hour later.

Five million kilometers behind the action.

“Patriarch, a report from Commander Loxi!”

“Oh? They’ve broken through—here to claim their glory, no doubt?”

Tumelo seemed relaxed and easygoing.

He wasn’t on the front lines, but from the way things had gone these days, victory felt all but assured.

Except he never noticed—the one delivering the news looked sick with worry.

His face was a mask of dread.

“Patriarch, according to Commander Loxi, after breaking through the belt, the vanguard ran into hundreds of human-directed asteroids. We lost 223 warships; most of the rest are heavily damaged.”

“It was… a trap set by humanity from the start!”

Tumelo’s easy smile vanished in a heartbeat.

“What did you say?”

“Patriarch, Lord Loxi reports catastrophic losses. The fleet is pulling back to regroup.”

“Useless! What was Loxi thinking? How could he mess up such a sure thing?”

Tumelo had forgotten how just moments ago he’d been even more confident than Loxi. He hadn’t expected humanity to spring something like this either.

All he could do was curse and rail at Loxi’s incompetence.

“Split the main fleet into five strike groups. Have them break through the Asteroid Belt at five different locations. And tell Loxi to reorganize and try again at his same location!”

After a moment’s thought…

Tumelo issued his orders.

He refused to believe the humans could still predict exactly where they’d try to break through this time.

To be fair, Mu Xingchen wasn’t some omniscient mastermind—there was no way to guess every move.

Not that he cared. He never planned to keep holding them back.

The whole Federation fleet—and those Asteroid Tug Ships—

were already charging full speed toward Mars, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the enemy.

So, ten hours later, when the Klein fleets attacked at six different breach points—

there wasn’t a trace of the Federation left.

Only emptiness remained, and an endless expanse of dark space.